Friday, August 21, 2009

Chuck the Writer's K-Chuck Radio: Stars on 45, "Medley"

I'm still trying to figure this one out. Work with me.

Around 1980, there was a bootleg 12-inch record that stitched together several recordings, all synchronized to the same clap-clap beat. One of those songs, the Shocking Blue's "Venus," caught the attention of Golden Earring drummer Jaap Eggermont, who had the copyright to that song and wanted to know who was making money off the recording without paying him.

So Eggermont decided to out-bootleg the bootleggers, and made his own licensed re-recording, using studio musicians to recreate the bootleg recording. The new track featured the intro to "Venus," as well as the Archies' "Sugar Sugar," and a ton of Beatles tracks. Whether it was because of the popularity of the Beatles recordings after the death of John Lennon, or the fact that you could hear 11 different songs stitched together in a single 3-minute track, "Medley" tore up the charts worldwide, and created a (thankfully) short-lived medley craze.

The Stars on 45 recorded a few more albums, but they were only a studio group and were never scheduled to tour. So I'm still trying to figure out who's performing as the Stars on 45 in this video clip.

I can't figure out which is funnier - the hyperactive dance team, or the audience members who are either asleep or trying not to admit they actually know the words to all the songs. But it's here... on K-Chuck Radio.